Vale of Rheidol Railway

Over het museum

The Vale of Rheidol Light Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament in August 1897. It was built to serve the lead mines of the valley and the timber trade, and used up-to-date narrow gauge construction through terrain that would have been very costly for a standard gauge line. Construction began in 1901 and the line opened to the public on 22 December 1902, running from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge.

Control passed to the Cambrian Railways in 1912 and to the Great Western Railway in 1923, when freight services ended and the harbour branch closed. The winter passenger service was withdrawn in 1930 and the line shut for the Second World War after the summer of 1939. British Railways took it over in 1948, and it became the last steam railway owned by British Rail before privatisation in 1989. A charitable trust now owns the line and has renewed locomotives, carriages and track and reopened views that had been hidden for decades.

The locomotives and carriages in everyday use were built by the Great Western Railway between 1923 and 1938. At Aberystwyth station the Engine Shed Museum houses a wide collection of narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock, much of it gathered by the late chairman Peter Rampton and known as Collection X. Exhibits change regularly, and Devil's Bridge station is being redeveloped through 2026 and 2027.

Hoogtepunten

• 24-mile return steam journey from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge
• Locomotives and carriages built by the Great Western Railway in 1923-1938
• Engine Shed Museum with narrow gauge locomotives from Britain and abroad
• Grade II listed 1902 terminus building at Devil's Bridge
• Free entry to the Engine Shed Museum

Vaste collectie

• Engine Shed Museum – A collection of historic narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock at Aberystwyth station, with guest exhibits and items from the museum collection that change regularly.

Opgericht

1897

Beheerder

Vale of Rheidol Railway

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are for standard class return train journeys; single tickets are available only at the booking office or by telephone. The Engine Shed Museum at Aberystwyth station is free for all visitors. Online bookings carry a booking fee, and a small voluntary donation can be added. Concessions are available only from the booking office or by telephone: 10 per cent for Blue Light Card holders, 20 per cent for Great Little Trains of Wales card holders and local residents card holders, and 75 per cent for railway staff travel cards.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

At Aberystwyth there is level access from the railway car park, which has Blue Badge bays, to the booking office, shop, toilets and platform, and the café and museum are a short level walk across the track; the museum has a wooden block floor that may be uneven. The historic carriages have a 400 mm step from platform to carriage floor. A wheelchair-accessible open carriage can run on every train and should be booked in advance, but wheelchair access is not possible in the closed and First Class carriages. Larger wheelchairs and scooters may not fit, so visitors are asked to contact the railway before travelling. At Devil's Bridge the booking office is reached by a ramp through a narrow door, so some larger wheelchairs cannot enter. Accessible toilets with baby changing are at both main stations, and there are no toilets on the trains. Portable induction loops are at the booking office counters. Registered assistance dogs travel free and are welcome everywhere; only registered assistance dogs are allowed in First Class.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Verschoonruimte

The railway is described as suitable for all ages. Children aged 3 to 15 pay a reduced fare and under-2s travel free. Baby changing is available in the accessible and ladies toilets at both main stations. Seasonal Ticket to Christmas trains run in December.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

At Aberystwyth follow the brown train signs and avoid the signs for the mainline railway station, which is a separate site. The station address is Park Avenue, SY23 1PG; Devil's Bridge station is at SY23 3JL.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Caffi Cledrau at Aberystwyth station serves coffee, cakes baked on site and lunches, and welcomes dogs; it is open daily until 1 November, then Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 16:00 until 15 December. Gift shops at Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge sell souvenirs, books and Welsh produce. Devil's Bridge station offers limited refreshments while the site is redeveloped.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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